Teens admit to Grand Theft Auto-inspired petrol bombfest
Kids these days...
Three US teenagers who recently went on a Molotov Cocktail crime spree claim to have perfected their weapons manufacturing skills by playing the Grand Theft Auto games.
Three teens claim to have made GTA-style Molotov cocktails
Pics courtesy WSBTV
Last month, the trio – all aged between 15 and 16, and as such may not be named – allegedly firebombed three cars in North Fulton County, Georgia with homemade petrol bombs. Each weapon was made from a bottle filled with a lighter fluid, with a rag stuffed into the spout as a fuse.
According to a report by local news service WSBTV, the trio were arrested by local police. When they were question, it's claimed, the kids said they’d learned "how to do it" from GTA.
The gang was subsequently charged with a total of 57 felonies, including arson and criminal damages.
'I won't put the car in the garage tonight, it'll be fine outside...'
Police identified the teenage bombers from surveillance videos recorded at a local Wal-Mart where the kids are thought to have bought drink bottles, red rags and lighter fluid.
It’s questionable whether the kids actually discovered how to make Molotov Cocktails from any of the games in the GTA series, because the weapon comes ready-assembled in the game.
However, this latest account of gamers going on a GTA-style rampage adds to the growing number of similar incidents. Earlier this month, a Thai videogame distributor stopped selling the series, after a local teenager went on a self-confessed GTA style murder and robbery rampage.
COMMENTS
GTA
Where's Marilyn Manson when you need someone to blame?
nope
There's no instructions in GTA you just pick them up, Rockstar should sue
Re: I blame the parents...
>> Who should be held accountable for letting their underage children
>> play an 18 cert game.
That's right because a sixteen year-old is so impressionable that they will play a computer game and then get the idea that it is okay to go rampages ?!? WTF? Blame the parents' by all means, but do so for their complete failure to impart an morals, rather than for allowing them to play a game.
You might also want to blame the person who sold them the fuel. It might have escaped your attention, but computer games don't really blow things up, to do that you need fuel or explosives.
Before anyone says it, I know that 16 year-olds are allowed to drive in the US and would need access to fuel - however that just adds to the stupidity. The idea that somehow these kids are responsible enough to be in charge of a 1 ton killing machine but are too impressionable to play a computer game without parental supervision (it is ESRB M rated in the US - i.e. 17+ unless supervised) is just plain bonkers.
In other news, I just read the story about the iPhone hacking site set up to rip people off - ergo I am now going to have to do the same thing myself.
re: Wii blame it on the games
What do you call the Olympics?
Too young to buy lighter fluid?
Is it just me, or is anyone else thinking; 'Who on earth sold these young kids lighter fuel?' Surely there is a minimum purchase age for it in the US? Furthermore, didnt the cashier start to think 'gee, what do all these kids want with lighter fluid, bottles and red rags?'
And furthermore - where were the parents when the kids were planning this? Or preparing their deadly payload?
Kids are like naughty puppies, if you let them get away with it they will do it. Supervision is needed, not constant supervision, just common sense, which is rather lacking in todays 'Caution, this packet of nuts may contain nuts!' world.
Its not GTA's fault, its the kids and the parents fault. But it still doesnt stop GTA being the same rehashed game with the same gameplay and ideas of five years ago, talk about flogging a dead donkey... Now if they were to make it totally open ended so that you could either gun down whores on 54th street or hand out bread in a soup kitchen...that would be a game!
